Conventional refrigeration appliances, such as domestic refrigerators, typically have both a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment or section. The fresh food compartment is where food items such as fruits, vegetables, and beverages are stored and the freezer compartment is where food items that are to be kept in a frozen condition are stored. The refrigerators are provided with a refrigeration system that maintains the fresh food compartment at temperatures above 0° C., such as between 0.25° C. and 4.5° C. and the freezer compartments at temperatures below 0° C., such as between 0° C. and −20° C.
Each compartment of a refrigerator can include various storage structure for storing food items within the compartment such as, for example, one or more shelves or bins. In some examples, a rotatable shelf can be provided that can be rotated between a raised position and a lowered position to selectively provide a storage surface for items in the compartment. In the lowered position, the shelf can be substantially horizontal such that food items can rest on the shelf. In the raised position, the shelf can be flipped up against a wall of the compartment to provide extra room within the compartment for items on lower shelves.
In conventional designs, a rotatable shelf may inadvertently fall down from its flipped-up position due to gravity. Moreover, a rotatable shelf may be inadvertently bumped by a user when the shelf is in its lowered position, causing the shelf to rotate upward toward its raised position and disrupt items stored on the shelf. Still further, a rotatable shelf may have an unappealing aesthetic due to structure required (e.g., hinges, trims, etc.) for rotating coupling the shelf to the refrigerator cabinet.